On Sunday 26 October 2003 11:42, Matthias Andree wrote:
>Hi,
>
>it has now happened several times over the past few months that the
>Amanda planner failed to schedule level 0 dumps in a timely manner.
> I'm using the Amanda 2.4.4 package that ships with SuSE 8.2. There
> is no pertinent information in the Changes section of 2.4.4p1 (I
> looked at the sourceforge release notes).
>
>Relevant configuration:
>- no changer
>
>dumpcycle 14 days       # the number of days in the normal dump
> cycle
>tapecycle 6 tapes       # the number of tapes in rotation
>bumpsize 1500 Mb        # minimum savings (threshold) to bump level
> 1 -> 2
>bumpdays 1              # minimum days at each level
>bumpmult 4              # threshold = bumpsize * (level-1)**bumpmult
>runtapes 1              # number of tapes to be used in a single run
> of amdump
>
>The results have been that I lost the last level 0 dump because it
> was overwritten with level 1 dumps.
>
>I've seen this happen in various circumstances:
>
>* Manual backups have been run outside the schedule (I rotate 6
> tapes in 14 days).
>
>* Machines are unavailable for an extended amount of time.
>
>What I expect of Amanda:
>
>* NEVER overwrite a level 0 dump, not even with another level 0.
>
>  If the write fails, there is no backup left over to restore from.
>
>* I'd prefer if Amanda refused to write to a tape if that would mean
>  killing a level 0 dump.
>
>In this discussion, level 0 also applies to level 1 -> level 2
> dumps, Amanda shouldn't overwrite one level 1 dump unless there is
> a newer one.
>
>If there is not enough space to keep an older level 0 dump as a new
> one is written, then abort, moaning and screaming loudly "buy more
> tapes" as the backup will be worthless.
>
>This means: if I have 6 tapes, Amanda will have to write level 0
> every FIFTH dump (not every SIXTH) at the latest. Of course, the
> "planner" (scheduler) can promote to level 0 earlier if that's
> necessary for capacity reasons.
>
>One thing I've never understood is: WHY does Amanda need to know the
>dumpcycle in days? If this feature has precedence over the
> tapecycle, it is broken.

No, its not broken.  Your config is however.  How do you expect amanda 
to keep uptodate when you're telling her she has 14 days to do a full 
backup of everything, but then turn around and only allow her 6 tapes 
to do it with?  Tain't gonna work, no how, no way.  Amanda cannot 
append another run to a tape regardless of how much space is left on 
the tape, so she has to have a usable tape that can be overwritten 
from the beginning for each run.

If you want to do a full every 14 days as you're telling her with the 
dumpcycle, then the almost absolute minimum number of tapes in the 
tapecyle is going to be at least 28 IF amanda is running every night.  
However, from what you've posted, we have no clue what sort of a 
schedule you are running amanda with because you didn't post your 
'runspercycle'.

Good practice means that you have at least 2 fulls on hand at any one 
time, and thats going to be 2x runspercycle.  And for business usage, 
the most recent fulls should be stored off-site in case of a fire or 
something that will make you need to do a bare metal restore.

Here at home, I'm running a 7 day dumpcycle, runspercycle also=7, and 
tapecycle=28.  I made a nice little oak wall hanger to contain about 
40 tapes and filled it up by prowling ebay.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
AMD K6-III@500mhz 320M
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Copyright 2003 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.